How 'Bout a Dance?
by TheNovelArtist
Summary: It's just a dance. Between two superheroes. Between two friends. Or...so Ladybug thinks. She's not expecting to fall for her partner. But when she does, she'll find advice from an unlikely source.
1. Chapter 1

Paris was illuminated in the warm yellow glow of streetlights and filled with the sounds of music. In the park below, a band playing the night away. The people that remained in the warm, spring evening were dancing to the ever-slowing songs while Paris's finest relaxed on top of a nearby building.

A certain spotted heroine lazily watched the band with an easy grin as she imagined herself down there dancing with a certain someone.

"What's got you grinning, bugaboo?"

She sighed. Not quite her prince charming, but not the bumbling jester he was when they had met either. He was more like...a very well-built, dashing knight that no princess would object being stolen away by.

Much to her chagrin.

"Nothing, _Minou_."

Chat didn't look convinced. "Really?"

"Mm hmm," she hummed affirmatively.

Chat leaned closer, likely trying to keep her attention, stupid cat. "I don't buy it," he purred. "Want to know what _I_ think?"

Ladybug forced on her best straight face. Three years ago, she would have said the most annoying thing about Chat was his puns. Now, her answer was more along the lines of how tall he was, how the features of his face were perfectly defined, and how his voice had grown deeper. Deeper. And smoother. And richer…

And all around unfairly irresistible.

But the most irritating thing about Chat, by far, was when he purred, and his voice was akin to warm honey on a cold day…

She had to take another deep breath before the ladybugs flying around in her stomach made an appearance.

"What do you think, Chat?"

"I think that you are thinking of dancing."

She hated when he was right.

"Are you going to try to deny that smile, too, my lady?"

"Yes," she easily retorted, fully aware of her smile.

He leaned closer, just over her ear. She denied to herself that heat was crawling across her cheeks or that a fire flared in her belly or that her heart skipped a beat. "You're a piece of work, bugaboo," he whispered, his breath rolling across the shell of her ear, causing a hitch in her breath.

When she stole a glance at him, that unfairly roguish smile on his face told her that he caught it. Dang it. She forced herself together before she lost herself. "You want to know a secret, kitty?" That's when she leaned close enough for his wild mane to tickle her nose. "You are, too."

He chuckled as she leaned away and turned back to the band.

The song they had been singing ended, drawing applause from the crowd, including Chat Noir and Ladybug.

"Thank you, all," the singer said. "Our set is coming to an end, but before we go, we'll give you one more song. How does that sound?"

The crowd cheered. The singer pointed at the bass player, making a motion with her hand before tapping out a beat. A few descending notes were played, and the last one was drawn out until it slowly stopped.

That was when Chat held out his hand to Ladybug, drawing a curious look from her.

"Come on, my lady," Chat begged. "One dance."

Then the pianist mimicked the notes, letting the last one linger. Next came the singer. _"How 'bout a dance? What do you say?"_

Ladybug didn't hear the next words over the roar of her heart pounding in her ears as she impulsively accepted Chat's hand. He pulled her close, guiding her into a ballroom dance hold. One that he seemed confident in.

She just hoped she didn't step on his toes.

 _"Let's find a spot and dance the night away."_

That's when the band fully started up, letting the slow song drift through the Parisian night. It was also when Chat took the first step, leading his lady across the rooftop with practiced ease.

Ladybug hated to admit that it made her even more nervous.

"I didn't know you danced, Chat," she said, trying to make conversation in an attempt to keep her head. "At least, not ballroom."

He smiled. _Stop it, idiot,_ she wanted to yell at him, _before you make me swoon._ "Five years of lessons, my lady," he said. "And then I attended so many galas and balls, I was never allowed to forget."

She hummed. "Are you a charmer then, kitty?"

"The heartthrob of many an event," he easily retorted. "But there's only one lady who can make my heart throb."

 _"You look so handsome. How' bout a dance? Let's make a start."_

"Trying to woo me, kitty?" Ladybug quipped, trying to keep her head level and heart in check.

His smile wasn't making it easy. "Are we just now beginning to notice?" He let out a growly purr through a smirk. One that wracked havoc on her poor heart. "Then I guess I'll have to step up my game again."

"Who says I'm not taken?" She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant.

Chat stiffened for a step before continuing as fluidly as he could. His face contorted in confusion, and Ladybug got a hint of satisfaction knowing she caused it.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised if you were," he relented. "Considering you are the most spectacular woman I've ever met."

She huffed at that.

"What?" he wondered.

"Stop flirting. Because that's not funny."

His mocking expression faded. "Who says I'm flirting to be funny?"

"Because there's no feasible way you would flirt with me lest you were teasing."

There was a sadness in his eyes she couldn't place. "My lady," he said, leaning over her ear. "If you think I'm teasing, then you need to know something very important."

Ladybug fought the increase in her heartrate. "What?"

 _"I'm sure the crowd will make room on the floor, when they see you, look like you do. So how 'bout a dance?"_

"There is no possible way any man could flirt with you to only be a tease."

"Ladybug maybe. Not with me."

"I doubt that."

"Then clearly, you know nothing about me."

"And maybe, you need to look again."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm a girl who can trip over air, Chat. There's no way any guy would fall for me."

"Not unless he's diving to catch you."

Ladybug swallowed, her cheeks growing hotter. "And how many times do you think it would take before he's tired of it?"

"A man could never tire of catching such a lovely lady."

"Beauty can only go so far to cover my flaws."

"Then find a man who knows you have jealous temper and are sometimes too headstrong to listen but adores you anyway."

She didn't know what enraptured her more: the intensity in his voice, or the possessive way his hold tightened on her.

Then his grip loosened, and only then did Ladybug realize they had stopped dancing. She looked up at Chat, only to regret it instantly because the heart that shone in his vivid green eyes was nearly too much for her to bear.

"Honestly, bug, any man who can't look past the bad to see the good in you isn't worth his salt," he said, his voice soft and heart-wrenching. "And I'm not saying I'm the only option, Ladybug. I'm saying that about any man in general."

The music began to slow, the notes softening and fading away. Chat held her hands in his, dipping low in a bow to kiss them. Her traitorous heart fluttered at the feeling.

He stood. "Until next time, My Lady."

With that, he left before the singer could put the last words of the song into the night.

 _"You'll lose the blues, and you may lose…"_

Ladybug shut her eyes against the tears. _Don't say it,_ she internally begged. _Please don't say it…_

 _"Your heart."_

* * *

A/N: Based on the song "How 'Bout a Dance" from the musical "Bonnie and Clyde. Highly recommend listening to it. It's just over two minutes, so not that long. It was about a month ago I went to go see this musical, and I had been wanting to write this since I got hooked on the soundtrack.


	2. Chapter 2

She shouldn't be crying. She was in a big, fluffy, pink ball gown that she had spent the last two weeks perfecting, getting ready to attend her school's senior dance in less than an hour. Yet, here she was, sobbing her eyes out, ruining her make-up.

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki cooed.

"Tikki, it's not fair," she complained. She knew darn well she was complaining. She knew darn well she had no right to complain, specifically since she had made this choice and had done this to herself. "I finally get a chance to go on a date with Adrien, no matter if we're going as just friends. I got what I thought I wanted, but I don't want this anymore. I want my kitty."

Her sobs started up again, full force. Tikki sank to perch on her shoulder. "A-a-and I know *sniff* that I'm being ridiculous. T-that I did this to m-my-self. *sniff* I have no r-r-right to c-complain."

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki soothed. "This isn't the first time I heard a Ladybug rant like this. Nor is it the first time a Ladybug has had her heart split two ways. And it's definitely not the first time a Chat Noir has thrown a Ladybug into a tizzy of emotions. Chat Noirs and Ladybugs…there's a certain balance and chemistry between them, one that's never the same but always a constant."

"So I was destined to be with Chat from the beginning, is that what you're saying?" Marinette asked, her voice still warbling with tears.

Tikki gave her the best empathetic look she could. "It wasn't something you were ready to hear until now."

Marinette sank into her seat, leaning on her desk and wiping her make-up filled tears from her cheeks.

With a sigh, Tikki flew down from Marinette's shoulder to where her hands were resting on the desk. "Marinette," she said. "I know you're upset. I know you're hurting and confused. But right now, you are invited to a dance with all your friends. Pull yourself together, clean up your make-up, and go have a little fun. Patrol is tomorrow, where you and Chat can talk and sort it all out. How does that sound?"

With one last sniff, Marinette swiped her eyes and nodded. "You're right, Tikki. I'm going to go have some fun."

Tikki flew up to Marinette's nose, patting her affectionately. "That's my girl."

* * *

"Girl, you haven't been yourself all night."

"Hmm?" Marinette hummed over her punch glass.

"Don't give me that look," Alya chastised. "You've been quiet all night. We're here to have some fun, and you look like you'd rather go home."

"Sorry, Alya. I'm trying," she said. "I just have something else on my mind right now."

"Like…trying to impress Adrien?"

Marinette looked to where her best friend was pointing. Sure enough, Adrien was standing, chatting with a couple of their classmates, looking as utterly dashing as ever, especially since he grew taller, bulked out with muscle, and his voice deepened. He had matured over high school from being a cute teenage boy to an utterly swoon-worthy young man.

Except, she didn't feel like swooning any more.

"Earth to Marinette!"

"Wha?"

Alya smacked her head. "Girl, what is with you tonight? You're looking at Adrien like he isn't your super-mega-crush anymore."

Marinette felt her face flare as her gaze sank to the punch glass in her hands.

"…No. Way."

Marinette bit her lower lip.

"Nope," Alya declared. "I don't believe it. There is no way you're over him."

"Who's Marinette over?"

Looking up, Marinette saw Adrien and Nino walk up to them, Nino putting his arm around Alya.

"No one," Marinette quickly responded, pushing on a fake grin. "It's nothing at all."

Nino didn't quite look convinced, but Adrien seemed to dismiss her entirely. "All right then," Nino slowly said. "Well, since the dancefloor's cleared out a bit, I think I owe my girlfriend a few more dances."

Alya elbowed him playfully. "You bet you do."

Nino chuckled as he led her out into the dancing crowd, leaving Marinette and Adrien alone.

Adrien turned back to Marinette with a smile before extending his own hand out. "You haven't been out on the dancefloor much. What do you say?"

Marinette forced on her best smile as she accepted Adrien's hand. Probably just months ago, her heart would have been jumping around in her chest. Now, it was nervous for a whole other reason.

The song was shifting as Adrien and Marinette got into a ballroom hold. Marinette thought she would have swooned in his arms. As it were, she felt very uncomfortable.

The song started, and Marinette just about died. _No!_

 _"How 'bout a dance. What do you say?"_

Marinette felt her whole body tense. Suddenly, her mind shifted out of reality to a fantasy where a man in black leather was holding her, his green eyes concealed by a black mask and little black cat ears nestled in his blonde hair. Blinking back to reality, she tried to pretend she was having fun with Adrien. To pretend for her friend's sake that she was enjoying herself. To not cringe at how wrong it was to dance with Adrien to Chat's song.

 _"You look so handsome. How 'bout a dance."_

"Marinette?"

She looked back up to Adrien, who looked down at her with worry in his eyes. "Are you all right?"

 _"Music like this can really throw ya. You'll lose the blues, and you may lose…"_

"No," she said, feeling the tears starting in her eyes. "No, I'm not."

 _"Your heart."_

Suddenly, she was outside, her heart pounding, her lungs burning, tears pouring off her cheeks. She wandered around the courtyard in the night, trying to get air around her sobs that she was trying to conceal. All in all, it just made her feel faint.

She collapsed on the edge of the fountain, clear water glistening in the moonlight. At least it was loud enough to cover some of her sobs.

"Marinette!"

She heard the voice, but didn't register that she wasn't alone any longer until someone sat down beside her and started rubbing her back. She didn't raise her head from her hands. Instead, she just wanted to burry inside them and disappear.

"Marinette, what's wrong?" Adrien asked. "What happened?"

She just continued crying, unable to speak. That was when she felt his arms come around her, one hand rubbing her back while the other rubbed her shoulder. He gently shushed her, whispering how it would be all right, how she would be okay, and other sweet nothings with the sole purpose of calming her down.

It worked, though.

Finally, the tears had slowed, and Marinette was resting against Adrien's shoulder, exhausted from crying.

"There now," he said, shifting her just slightly away from him. "Better?"

She nodded.

"Good." He took a deep breath before asking. "Do you want to talk about it? What happened?"

She sniffed, pulling herself together just enough to sit on her own without his shoulder to hold her up. "I…um…" she wiped her cheeks clear of tears before turning back to her concerned friend. "I have this friend, one that none of you know. He's…we're really close." She felt herself choke up a bit, so to stall until she was able to talk again, she crossed her fingers together in front of her and forced a smile. "He's a really good friend to me who is like the epitome of best friends should be, but he's always been this flirt, so it's not like…like I would _like_ him or anything." She sniffed, took a deep breath, and continued. "A couple nights ago, there was this…this cover band playing in the park. We decided to go check it out. So, as usual, we meet there, we tease each other, he flirts, I push him away."

"I have a feeling I know how this story is going to end," Adrien spoke up, seeing how hard it was for Marinette to get out her words. "You thought you two were just friends, right. Close?" To emphasize his point, he crossed his own fingers, just as Marinette had done. "I'll bet he asked for a dance to one song—the last song they played that night, the one we were just listening to now—and being good friends, you agreed but found that maybe he wasn't 'just a friend' after all."

Upon feeling more tears coming, she buried her face in her hands, biting her lip hard in hopes she wouldn't cry.

"Oh, Marinette." Adrien's hand came to rest on her shoulder in support.

"And you know what the worst part of it is?" she said, somehow feeling a weight lifting from her shoulders. "Is that up 'til that day, I was all excited for tonight because I was finally going to get to dance with my crush and maybe be bold enough to ask him out, but I couldn't even finish a song with him because I…I just…I _can't._ "

She watched Adrien's expression contort to shocked, confused, then realization and sympathy. "Marinette, I…I'm flattered, but…"

"You're taken, right?" she prodded. Before he could even give her an answer, she huffed in bemusement. "I knew it was stupid, but you were just so…so kind-hearted and selfless and humble and smart and handsome, and I was so infatuated. So I spent the better part of my high school years thinking about you while my best friend and I were slowly growing closer and suddenly, overnight, he's all I can think about and… _ohhh._ " She dropped her head into her hands, feeling ashamed. "I'm so flighty and indecisive. That makes me such a horrible person. I don't deserve either of you."

To her shock, Adrien chuckled. She almost felt insulted until he wrapped a comforting arm around her to give her a brief side-hug. "Oh, Mari. You're so cute. You're not flighty or horrible."

"Yes, I am."

"No. You're not. You're in love with your best friend. There's nothing wrong with that."

Marinette sighed heavily. "But…that's just…I spent all that time pushing him away."

"He never stopped pushing forward, though, did he?"

Marinette shook her head.

"Then he hasn't given up on you," he assured. "He still wants you, and now you want him. It's perfect."

"But it's not like…I can just…go, fall into his arms, proclaim I love him, and live happily ever after. That…that doesn't happen. And wouldn't he think less of me for that? Like, I'm doing in as a prank?"

Adrien huffed in amusement, but shook his head. "My guess would be that he would love if you just fell into his arms. You said he was a flirt? It sounds like he's been working hard to try to earn your attention anyway."

Marinette's gaze fell to her shoes as she thought long and hard on Adrien's words. "You think so?" she whispered.

"From a guy who knows what it's like to be in love with his best friend who doesn't return the feeling, I can honestly say I know so."

His words somewhat shocked her. She looked up at him. "You…" she paused, thinking on who he could possibly be talking about.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "You were right when you thought I was taken. Not…actually taken but…there's a girl that I'm really good friends with. Close." He crossed his fingers together, just like she had. "She doesn't go to our school, and she's not someone I talk about, really."

As Marinette looked at him, she could see it. His lovelorn expression, the blush of his cheeks. "You're really smitten," she realized. And in that moment, she realized something far more important: it was time to let him go.

Bashfully, he nodded. "Yeah. You're the lucky one of us, though."

Marinette felt a fond smile quirk up on her face. "I wish you the best, Adrien," she said. "Really, I mean it. Hope she realizes how special you are."

Adrien's smile softened as he looked at her in a way that would have made her swoon a few months ago. Now, her heart barely fluttered. "Thanks Marinette. I wish you and your friend the best. Hopefully, it will all work out. From the sounds of it, it will."

Marinette put up her crossed fingers, managing a hint of a smile. "Hopefully."

He mimicked her action. "Hopefully."

With a sigh, he stood. "I'm going to guess you don't want to go back inside," Adrien said. "Frankly, I don't quite feel like it either. Chloe is going to suffocate me."

Marinette giggled at that.

"Would you like a ride home, Marinette?"

She looked up at him, hesitant. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Positive."

"Then I'd appreciate it."

He offered her his hand to stand, which she gratefully took. It was funny, now, to think about all Adrien had done in the past ten minutes that would have made her fall head-over-heels in hope that he loved her back. But now…now it was all platonic.

And that was okay.

Adrien pulled out his phone to shoot a quick text off. "Nino and Alya would probably appreciate if they knew we weren't coming back."

Marinette nodded. "Probably."

They continued in silence out to the parking lot where Adrien's new sports car was parked.

"I still can't believe your dad gave you such a nice gift," she commented, knowing full well what kinds of gifts he had received for birthdays and Christmases.

"It only barely nudged out that blue scarf. I still love that thing."

Marinette could only nod. She'd never had the heart to tell him. Besides, letting him believe it was just the gift that kept on giving.

He politely opened the door for her, like the gentleman he was, then started up the car to drive it home in relative silence.

Marinette watched the night roll by out the window, wondering absently if her kitty was out and about wondering where his lady was. _His_ Lady. She let her eyes drift closed. That did thing to her heart.

"Adrien," she ventured.

"Hmm?"

"You…you're familiar with my situation. What, do you think, would be the best way to go about this?"

He hummed in thought. "Well," he started. "I think…that if he flirts with you, you should flirt back. Like, really mess with him."

"Isn't that a little mean?" Marinette asked.

"Is he a tease along with a flirt?" he wondered.

"Yeah."

"Then you most definitely should," he confirmed. "Play with him a little bit. Then drop hints. Don't come out all at once. Have him pursue you."

"He's been pursuing me for three years, though. Adamantly. It's okay to hold him off longer?"

Adrien nodded. "He'll keep pursuing you as long as he feels like he's winning."

Marinette absorbed his words. "So let him win…what?"

"Compliments, physical contact…um… _platonic_ sorts, not…yeah _,_ " he clarified, glancing at her sheepishly. "Hints as to whether you like him or not. Flirty responses. Things like that."

Marinette listened to everything he had to say, taking it in. "Thank you. I appreciate the help."

"No problem."

Silence over took the car for a little while. It wasn't weighted or stressed or awkward. Just…content silence.

"Marinette," Adrien spoke up. "Since…I helped you, could I ask for some help in return?"

"What sort of help?"

"How do you get a girl to notice you?"

Marinette snorted. "You're a model and you need help?"

"Yes?" he responded, his shoulders hunching up sheepishly. "Because I attract a lot of high-maintenance, shallow girls who like money and my looks, and I need help romancing…the direct opposite of that. Since Chloe isn't exactly good reference material, I can't ask her, and you…you're a lot like my friend so I thought…"

Marinette was shocked still, unsure of what to say or how to respond being referred to as the girl who reminded him of the girl he was in love with.

"Never mind," he said, after a bit of rambling. "I shouldn't have a—"

"Old-fashioned."

"Come again?" Adrien asked.

"Romance her in an old-fashioned sort of way," Marinette said, her voice stronger and surer. "If…if she is like me, she just wants to be loved and appreciated and cared about. She'd love compliments, even on the little things about her. She'd love being thought about, so tell her of things that remind you of her."

"But I've done that," Adrien countered. "I thought that would work but—"

"Then you either need to try harder, or give her up."

"I don't want to."

Marinette could hear the determination in his voice. The fierceness. It made her stomach flip because it…it reminded her of Chat. Apparently, Adrien was a possessive sort of guy, too. "You said you two are just friends," she recalled. "Are you telling her these things in the context of friendship or…?"

"Friendship," Adrien admitted. "I don't want to scare her off."

"But it's not working," she said. "So you might be being too subtle about it, or she's ignoring it because you're her friend."

"Definitely the latter."

Marinette quirked a brow at his growly tone. "Really?" she challenged.

"I think I gave up on being subtle about it a year ago. And even before then, I don't think I was subtle about it." He pulled over to the curb in front of Marinette's house, leaving the engine running after he put it in park.

"Then you're going to have to take the risk and pursue her," Marinette said. "Make it clear what you're doing. No more gray area. You'll have to put the ball so firmly in her court she won't have a choice but to make a move of her own."

Adrien let his eyes fall away from her as he mulled over her words.

"State your intentions. Then woo her. If you do it right, I don't think she'll know what hit her."

Hope sparked in those gorgeous green eyes of his. And no, just because she was over him didn't make him any less handsome. "Thanks, Marinette. I'll take that to heart. Hopefully she'll fall for old-fashioned wooing."

She smiled, and something inside of her felt a bit daring. "Offer her your umbrella next time it rains. It worked once, it might work again." She reached for the car door handle, ready to open it into the night. "But you might want that umbrella back now, right?"

"No, no. I never expected…" Adrien's eyes widened to owlish proportions as he slowly realized what she was saying. "Wait. Was that was it? What…what sparked your crush on me?'

She gave a hint of a smile. "Yeah. Girls can fall just like that, so don't give up hope. Anyway, thanks for driving me home, Adrien. I really appreciate it."

He gave her a smile that would have stopped her heart not all that long ago. "You're welcome, Marinette. Thanks for the advice."

"I wish you the best of luck. She sounds special."

His gaze got dreamy. "She really is." He shook himself out of it as she opened the car door to get out. "And Marinette, I wish you the best of luck with your friend."

Marinette smiled. "Thanks, Adrien. Good night."

"Good night."

With that, she shut the car door and waved him off as his headlights disappeared into the night.

* * *

A/N: SO, I have to admit that while I loved the way this turned out, I feel like I took Adrien a little OOC and made him a bit (or maybe a lot) more in tune to Marinette.

Oh-well. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I hate writers block. I didn't mean for this chapter to take so long. :/

* * *

After explaining to her concerned parents that she was happy to be home early and that nothing happened besides that she was just so tired and the party wasn't all that fun, Marinette finally escaped to hide away in the quiet of her room. Her talk with Adrien had given her hope. Maybe she could wrangle her cat yet, tie him down with a red ribbon or two. She doubted he'd have a problem with that.

As she looked out into the Parisian Night, she felt the itch to go out. To run across the rooftops. She doubted she would see her kitty, but what if there was a chance…?

"Tikki," she said.

The bug appeared by her side, smiling. "Are we going out?" she cheerily asked.

"Spots on."

Fifteen minutes later, Ladybug was exhausted. She had run her heart out, flying all over Paris. Normally, she would call it a warm-up, but tonight, it was practically a marathon. She blamed it on all the crying.

As she looked out over Paris, she wondered where her kitty was. It was as though he had consumed her mind the entirety of tonight, along with the past couple days.

She let out a sigh. She wanted him here right now.

Slowly, a single red rose fell into view. Surprised, she stared at the upside-down rose before looking up at the man holding it. Her heart fluttered in happiness at the sight of his caring grin.

"Why the long face, bugaboo?"

She took the rose from his fingers, righting it so she could make a show of smelling the bloom. She was fully aware of how close he sat down beside her and made no move to scoot away as normal. "Because I had thought I wished to be alone tonight, but now that you are here, I realized just how much I didn't."

His response wasn't quite as fast as usual. "Then I'm happy this black cat could put such a beautiful heart at ease."

"Hmm," she said, slyly looking out at him from the corner of her vison. "Then I suppose that makes me lady luck after all, doesn't it?" Letting the hand holding the rose fall to her lap, she turned her face to shoot him a wicked smile.

Something sparked in his eyes as he took in the sight of her. His resulting grin made her both nervous and excited. "Since when haven't you been? Graced with beauty and a fierceness that would fall even the strongest of men."

It wasn't so much his words as much as the earnestness behind them that made warmth erupt inside her chest. "Is that so, kitty?"

"Have you not noticed, milady?"

She hummed again, looking her partner over and not bothering to hide it. The bell around his neck seemed to shine especially bright tonight, casting a hint of a warm glow on his black leather suit. When her gaze locked with his, her heartrate skyrocketed. She was such a hopeless goner, and she had thought she was bad with Adrien. "I suppose I haven't been looking hard enough, chaton," she admitted.

He swallowed hard, making the bell bob ever-so-slightly.

Being the glowing beacon in the night it was, she just couldn't resist any longer. "But I think I see things clearer now." Reaching forward, she flicked it, making it jingle.

And because they were sitting so close, she was hyper-aware of the affect that had on her cat. How he tensed, muscles ridged and stiff. How his widened eyes dilated before thinning to slits. How his breath hitched, then never returned to normal. She was also hyper-aware of the pleasure that shot through her at his reaction.

With a shaking breath, he reached over to rest his hand on her hand holding the rose. "My lady," he said, his voice coming out husky and low and warm. "You are a very mean tease. Do you not know what that does to my heart?"

Even beyond the unsteady pace of her heart and the heat bursting through her, settling in the pit of her stomach and flaring in her cheeks, she still felt flirty. She held her tomcat in her hands. A powerful thought. Maybe she was being too forward. Maybe she needed to slow down. A lot. But maybe she just didn't have the patience after sobbing her heart out earlier to play such games with him. So she would settle on teasing him for all he was worth before she inevitably succumbed to his charms. Because she would. She could feel it. "I do now," she said, reaching for the bell again, flicking it twice.

Again, the same reaction, except when he came around, his smile was far tenser. "You are a ruthless torturer."

She hummed. "And you are a thief. Apparently, we are both criminals."

He quirked a brow. "How so, my lady?"

"First you steal a dance with me, then you dare to steal my heart." And she was desperately wanting him to steal a kiss, but shoved that down for now. She had to keep herself at a slower pace than that. This…this was a dance. A strange one that was new to both of them, yet they moved together in perfect sync like the partners they were. It was so odd, to be navigating this dance with him, one that had the potential to ruin everything she had fought to keep over the last few years. Tonight, however, she was feeling brave, and the walls had shattered with the music. All that was left was them, moving, leading, following. Dancing.

His cat-like eyes were so expressive with the way the confusion melted to pleasure, his pupils shifting between wide and thin, before taking on a pleased and thrilling glow. "Did I finally succeed? Is that what you're saying?" he asked, leading this dance now. "Because I will happily take my title as a thief if you say yes."

Following his lead, she made a show of pondering his words. "Thief Chat Noir. It's almost suiting, isn't it? But we couldn't let the public catch wind of that. I can't have them take that and start a wild rumor from a joke now can I?" She reached for his bell to tease him once again, but he grabbed hold of her hand before she could reach. A halt in the music, and their dance.

"Ladybug," he warned, his grasp on her tight and his gaze smoldering. "I _beg_ you to stop that because I honestly can't take it."

Shock flashed through her. Slowly, he eased the grip on her hand, and shamefully, she pulled it back. She had pushed too far.

He sighed, his ridged posture relaxing. "Ladybug," he started, his voice almost pleading now. "Please tell me you aren't just stringing this cat along. I'm not going to object to any of your teasing, no matter how intense, as long as you mean it and aren't going to pull the rug out from under me."

A sudden seriousness settled over them. Ladybug's mirth faded. "I think that if I was just teasing you for the sake of teasing you," she answered, "I would not have gone nearly as far."

"So you mean this?" he asked. "Because if you do, then it gives me hope that my determination of asking your permission to pursue you won't go dismissed."

All flirting aside, she smiled warmly up at him. "I don't deserve it. Any of your attention. Especially since I've turned you down over and over and over again. But after that dance, kitty, you left, and I missed you so badly. I spent the better part of tonight crying because I was supposed to be going to this dance with my crush, and I only wanted to go with you."

A mix of emotions washed over his face. "Your crush?"

"One of the reasons I was turning you down for so long," she admitted, ashamed. "He held my heart before you grabbed hold of mine. And then I just didn't know what to make of it and we had rules to follow and…" she met his gaze again. "And I was just scared."

"What of, bugaboo?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle.

She had no words for her fear. The best she could do was shrug, shaking her head. "I don't know."

Silence slipped between them before Chat took her hand holding the rose and raised it up, the flower now in between them. It called Ladybug's attention back to her partner, and darn if she didn't just want to melt under his gaze. "Then I will be there to encourage you past your fears, whatever they may be. You are of the utmost importance to me. If you are hurting or scared, I hope you know you can come to me, and that I will be there for you every time." He then gingerly fingered one of the outlying petals of the rose. "Roses, no matter how hearty they are, need a little caretaking, too. While many are willing to admire their beauty, few are willing to risk the thorns to tend to them." His gaze, now smoldering and raw and enough to make Ladybug absolutely _swoon,_ landed back on her. "Let me be the one who will care for you."

Where was the oxygen tonight? Because she absolutely couldn't breathe. She swallowed, hoping her body would start functioning again. "Chat…"

Her yo-yo ringed, as did Chat's baton. Moment ruined by the familiar tone they knew was an alert of the Ladyblog being active, they each checked their devices.

The school dance.

"I just came from a dance," she bemoaned. "I don't want to go back."

"Frankly, Ladybug," Chat said, standing up before lowering a hand for her. "I don't want to go either. Unfortunately, Paris' heroes cannot be shirking our duties."

Ladybug took his offered help. "What a shame. You don't suppose that if we changed back to our civilian selves, that we would no longer pass as Paris' heroes, would we?"

Chat's eyes widened before they slammed shut. He shook his head. "Don't put those sorts of thought in my head, bug. They are far too tempting."

She giggled. "All right, let's go before we both talk ourselves out of it. Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

"Oh, another akuma caused by Chloe," Ladybug sarcastically quipped. "Shocker."

"I swear she's getting worse with age," Chat growled.

The two superheroes watched as a certain blonde menace ran from an akuma shooting pins and sewing needles. "I suppose we should go rescue her, huh?" Ladybug said. "The akuma seems pretty intent on just her."

"Yeah, but the akuma is so distracted, everyone else is getting away, and it makes our job easier if there aren't many spectators getting caught in the crossfire."

"Then let's wait until Chloe runs—whoop, there she goes."

"All right," Chat sighed, standing up from his perch in the rafters of the gymnasium. "Let's go after her."

The duo sprung down to the floor, running through the door Chloe had used to escape the akuma intent on making her a human pincushion. "I got Chloe," Chat said. "You deal with miss pincushion."

"Fine by me." With that, she threw her yo-yo to grab the akuma's hands before she could summon more sewing utensils. Ladybug shouted some stupid pun to catch the akuma's attention so that Chat could snag Chloe and remove her from the action.

Only when the akuma summoned sewing scissors did Ladybug realize she might want to get her head a little deeper into the game. She ripped her yo-yo away before the scissors could cut the string, causing the akuma to twirl like a top. At least the girl was distracted enough for Ladybug to sneak off in the direction Chat and Chloe went.

"It wasn't my fault!" Chloe cried when Ladybug entered the room her partner was hiding in. "I didn't see her there. It wasn't like I purposefully stepped on her dress, no matter how ugly it was." Chloe then gasped at the spotted heroine. "Ladybug! Oh, I'm so glad you're here."

"I'm sure," she deadpanned, holding her hand out to stop Chloe from enveloping her in a hug. "Just stay here, let us take care of it."

"Thank you, Ladybug," she cheerily said. "I don't know what would have become of me without you. What would my Adrien have thought if I was injured because my heel accidently snagged on the hem of some girl's poorly made dress?"

"Your Adrien who clearly left you when you became akuma bait?" Chat sarcastically quipped. "Seems like you need to find a better guy."

Chloe's wrath turned fully on Chat. "You know nothing about him, you pathetic cat. He's perfect."

"Clearly," Chat snipped, unaffected. "So perfect that he abandoned his date, that is, if you were his date in the first place. Tabloids never showed you two together. Either way, I think you need to find some other guy."

Stomping her foot, Chloe was about to dish a piece of her mind when Ladybug interrupted, "Ahem! There's an akuma. Better things to think about then _'her Adrien'._ "

"Thank you, Ladybug," Chloe snapped, still a bit bitter. "This is why you're the leader and not this—"

"Please don't insult my cat," she interjected, her voice tight.

Chloe scoffed. " _Your_ cat?" she repeated in disbelief.

"Yes, _my_ kitty. Now if you'll wait here, _my_ kitty and I have work to do."

Again, Chloe sputtered. "You seriously don't expect me to believe that you're dating _Chat Noir._ "

But the silence that responded as Ladybug and Chat turned to the door was her answer.

"But but but…you're _Ladybug!"_ Chloe cried. "I expected you to do a whole lot better than _that_ mangy stray."

With a fire in her eyes and burning hotter in her gut, Ladybug whipped around to face Chloe. "On the contrary," she snipped, "I couldn't do any better though I've tried." On that note, she turned back to the door and marched out, her cat hot on her heels.

"We'll be talking about who my rival was later," he whispered playfully in her ear. Somehow, it calmed her down, which judging by the gleam in his eye, he had hoped it would.

"Of course," she played along. "But for now, we have a needle-happy akuma running around somewhere, so…"

"I know. Let's finish it quick, huh, bug? Then maybe I'll get to steal a dance with you since we're here."

Still feeling a bit flirty, she smirked up at him. "And what were we doing before?"

"Flirting," he responded, clearly confused.

"But isn't that a dance in and of itself?" She playfully said. "Trying to steal another dance, kitty?"

His smile was purely roguish. "With you, my lady, I'll take any dance I can get."

"Then how about this one where we defeat the akuma?"

"Not my favorite, but I suppose we _are_ partners."

"The best," Ladybug affirmed. "Now, let's do what we do best, kitty."

"Lead the way, My Lady."


	4. Chapter 4

With the fight over, the akuma purified, and the world set to rights, Ladybug had a minute to find a hiding spot before she turned back into Cinderella.

"Here," Chat said, opening a door for her.

She bolted inside, and he shut the door just as her transformation wore off.

She caught her exhausted kwami in her hands, then instinctively reached for her side.

Only to realize she had neglected to bring her purse.

Marinette momentarily panicked. If she couldn't find a cookie for Tikki, that meant she would have to walk home. An unappealing prospect to not only walk that far, but in the dark in a ridiculously impractical prom dress.

"Marinette," Tikki said. "Maybe desperate times call for desperate measures."

With a sigh, the girl relented. "You're right, Tikki."

She was hesitant to reach for the door. It took courage to twist the handle and crack the door open. "Chat?" she whispered.

But no response.

"Chat?" She called again, a little louder this time. When met with silence again, she gave one last call out. "Kitty?"

No response. With a relenting sigh, she shut the door again. She supposed her only option was to wait the night out here until Tikki was fit—

"Did I hear my lady call?"

Marinette lit up at the voice echoing through the door. She cracked it open, just so that she could speak quietly without having to yell through the door. "I have a bit of a problem. I don't have any cookies for my kwami."

"I can go find some," he offered.

While that was what made the most sense, Marinette was disappointed at his answer. She tried to get her jaw to work, staring down at Tikki for some sort of reassurance. The little kwami grinned, nodding her head and made a swirling motion with her hands. A silent "go on." Encouragement. And with another nod, firm consent.

Marinette took a breath. "Actually, can I just ask you to take me home?"

There was a tense silence as Marinette waited for an answer. When she got one, his voice was uncertain. "Are you sure of that, my lady? That means you have to tell me where you live and I might just see who you are in the process."

She reached out the door, extending her hand out for him to take. "I'm certain, kitty."

Marinette counted five pounding heartbeats before she felt Chat's hand slip into hers. In a classic Chat move, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles before she pulled him into the closet with her.

He slipped inside, his eyes focused on the floor as he reached behind him to shut the door. A smile crossed his face at the sight of her dress. "You look spectacular tonight, mi—"

The rest of his comment died on his lips as his eyes locked on her face. Marinette felt heat swarm her cheeks as she forced a smile. "Hi, kitty."

He looked her over again before breaking into a smile. Slowly, he shook his head in disbelief, then started chuckling. "I can't believe it."

"Is that a good thing?" Marinette asked, her voice squeaky with shaky hope.

He didn't say a word as he reached for her and engulfed her in his embrace. He rubbed his cheek against her head as he settled her firmly against his chest. Not that she minded in the slightest.

"So," she asked, arms wrapping around his torso, "this is ok?"

"It's so insanely perfect," he responded. "And horrendously ironic. I can't believe…I brought all that teasing on myself."

Something sat in Marinette's gut wrong. "What's that supposed to mean?"

With a chuckle, he swept her up of her feet. She let out a slight squeal of surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck for security. His face was so close to hers, yet she could still see the teasing grin he wore with perfect clarity. "Let' get you home, princess. Then I'll tell you."

She tightened her grasp. "All right."

Chat took her all the way home, bounding effortlessly across Paris despite holding her. When he set her down on her balcony, he did it with the utmost care. Even though her feet were planted firmly on the ground, he never let her go.

Not that she wanted him to.

"So," she quietly spoke, reaching her hands up to his hair. "What did you want to tell me?"

He melted at her touch. His eyes were half-lidded as she gently rubbed circles in his ears. "See, you're going to make it hard for me to tell you."

"Oh?" she asked, snuggling closer so their noses were nearly touching. She worked harder at rubbing his ears. "And why's that?"

"Because I don't want you to stop that but the easiest way to explain is to detransform."

With a smirk, she shifted her ministrations from his ears to his scalp. It garnered a purr form him. Ladybug grinned, loving the way the sound vibrated in his chest and through her. Eager to keep it going and curious to see just how strong she could make it, she stood on her toes so that she could scratch in between his shoulder blades.

Even in the midst of the purring, he moaned. " _Mari._ "

Her grin widened at the thrill she got from causing such a reaction from her partner. "Am I going to get to see who you are? Or are you just going to stay a cat all night?"

"If you keep petting me like _that_ ," he implied.

Though it was hard, she stopped. "Ok. Now let me see who my knight is."

He chuckled, his purring dying down. In a flash of green, he had changed from her partner

To Adrien Agreste.

Marinette stared at him for a while before hiding her face into his shoulder. "Oh my word!"

Adrien just held her tight, chuckling all the while. "If I had known, then I wouldn't have told you to tease the life out of your friend. Do you know how hard you yanked on my heartstrings tonight?"

She giggled into his shoulder. "But you said I could pull on your heartstrings anytime. You brought it on yourself."

He stiffened for a moment, glancing at her strangely before forcing her out of his shoulder and staring her down with a smirk. "So you _were_ listening to all my lines."

A blush heated her cheeks, but she really couldn't bring herself to care. Somehow, him holding her as he did made it really hard to think. Adrien, Chat Noir; she really didn't know what she was supposed to do with herself right now. "I remember the good ones and, regretfully, the really bad," she teased.

He put his lips close to her ear and whispered, "So which one was that, _purr_ incess?"

She shuttered, wishing he'd quit trying to melt her like a candle in and oven. "No comment."

Adrien chuckled, a wonderful sound that rumbled through his chest. "I'll get the answer out of you one day."

She grinned up at him. "Try all you want, kitty. My lips are sealed."

The glint in his eye was dangerous. "Does that mean I won't be getting a kiss from my lady tonight?"

She bit her tongue against the automatic answer of "yes," and pretended to think it over. "Well, maybe if I can have a dance to finish the one we left, then I'll consider it."

He wasted no time regathering her into a waltz hold. Goodness, did he have to look so dashing in that suit and tie of his? "Anything for my lady."

* * *

Marinette slowly awoke to someone shaking her. "Mari."

She groaned, unwilling to leave her warm pillow. "No."

A chuckle. One warm and rich and all kinds of wonderful. "You have to get up."

"No, I don't," she whined, her eyes still clamped shut.

"Well, at least you have to get up off of me, princess."

Marinette's eyes opened suddenly as last night flooded her mind. Dancing. Lots and lots of dancing, followed by her inviting Adrien inside and talking the night away. But even though the last part was foggy, she vaguely remembered snuggling up against him. Where she must have fallen asleep.

She looked up at him, his hair ruffled just a bit to make him resemble Chat Noir. Then combined with his black suit and tie, he just looked downright, devilishly handsome. Honestly, it wasn't fair for someone to be that good looking in the morning. She must look a mess.

Adrien smiled down at her, fingering the ends of her hair. "You look so beautiful."

Feeling the blush of her cheeks, she retorted, "lair."

He shook his head. "Never when it comes to your beauty, princess. Both inside and out."

Flattered, Marinette buried her head back in his chest.

"As much as I do want to stay, I should leave. I have work to do today."

Whining, she gripped his jacket tighter.

With a chuckle, he pressed a kiss to her head. "I know. I don't really want to go either."

Forcing her head up, Marinette looked up at Adrien with a smile. "Come back soon, kitty?"

"As if you could keep me away from my lady."

He leaned forward to steal a kiss from her, one she willingly gave into.

And that was when an extremely loud bang reverberated through the room, causing both of them to nearly fall from the chaise.

Marinette whipped her head around, searching for the source of the sound, only to see Alya standing there with a stunned expression.

Sheepishly, Marinette rubbed the back of her neck, forgetting that Alya had texted her back a promise last night to come check up on her this morning.

"Um…" Adrien said, blushing bright red while still supporting Marinette on his lap so she wouldn't fall from the chaise. "Hey, Alya."

"Marinette. Dupain. Cheng." Alya's voice boomed in the small room, making her seem twice the size she truly was. "You have some serious explaining to do!"

* * *

A/N: I'm a bit disappointed in this one, because I feel like no matter how hard I tried, it just got progressively worse as time went on. :( Lesson learned, I suppose. Will probably undergo a revision at some point in time, but honestly, I just mentally needed this story to be finished. Too many things on my plate :p


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